Chapter 8. Peering into the Future of Psychiatric Epidemiology

  1. Ming T. Tsuang3,4,
  2. Mauricio Tohen5,6
  1. Ezra Susser1,2,
  2. Michaeline Bresnahan1,2,
  3. Bruce Link1,2

Published Online: 22 APR 2003

DOI: 10.1002/0471234311.ch8

Book Title

Textbook in Psychiatric Epidemiology, Second Edition

Textbook in Psychiatric Epidemiology, Second Edition

Additional Information

How to Cite

Susser, E., Bresnahan, M. and Link, B. (2003) Peering into the Future of Psychiatric Epidemiology, in Textbook in Psychiatric Epidemiology, Second Edition (eds M. T. Tsuang and M. Tohen), John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, USA. doi: 10.1002/0471234311.ch8

Editor Information

  1. 3

    Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA

  2. 4

    Pediatric Psychopharmacology Unit, Psychiatry Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA

  3. 5

    Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN, USA

  4. 6

    Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02184, USA

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Epidemiology, Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA

  2. 2

    New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA

Publication History

  1. Published Online: 22 APR 2003
  2. Published Print: 23 AUG 2002

ISBN Information

Print ISBN: 9780471409748

Online ISBN: 9780471234319

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Keywords:

  • psychiatric epidemiology;
  • future;
  • levels of causation;
  • historical overview;
  • extension of logic;
  • framing the future

Summary

The authors explore some of the emerging trends in epidemiology and consider their implications for psychiatric research, with a special focus on the concept of levels of “causation”. The chapter begins with a historical overview of thinking about levels of causation, and a description of thinking across multiple levels of causation and framing a research question in these terms. The authors provide examples from their work, demonstrating how their research on mental disorders could be enhanced by the multilevel perspective. They concentrate on two levels of organization: the individual and the social context, and explain how the framework can be extended to biological studies and to more than two levels.

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